1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to exercise device for small animals, more particularly this invention relates to a highly effective and space efficient device for allowing small confined animals to obtain the exercise they need for their optimum health, while not requiring the confined environment of such small animals beyond the physical dimensions of those which are traditionally and typically well accepted.
2. Previous Art
Past rodent or small animal exercise devices have proven at least somewhat successful. The animal can get some exercise and increase its health and life span. Consequently, the animal""s owner benefits from a healthy animal with greater life span and lower maintenance costs.
The exercise devices are used extensively by healthy animals. For example, the animals have been observed to spend two or more hours of actual running time on the wheel per day providing that the exercising does not callus or otherwise abraid their feet or damage them in other ways. On the other hand, when exercise damages or hurts the animal in some way, there is considerably less exercise by the animal. Since the exercise is strictly voluntary, an exercise device must be comfortable for the animal to use to obtain the desired benefits.
It will also be appreciated by those familiar with rodents that these animals are nocturnal and typically exercise at night when their owners aren""t present. That means if the animals damages itself, it must wait sometimes many hours before any assistance will be available. In many cases this can result in permanent injury and in some cases, it can be fatal to the animal.
Such past devices have included what is typically known as a xe2x80x9chamster wheelxe2x80x9d depicted in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2 and set forth as numeral 20. The hamster wheel 20 rotates while connected to a frame 22. The frame and wheel are situated in the animal""s environment, typically a cage. Thus, the physical dimensions of the exercise device must be small enough to fit within the cage while large enough to accommodate the exercise for which they were intended.
The wheel 20 has what is known as an open structure wherein the wheel is in the form of a screen as shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2. Typically, the animal""s appendage, e.g. a foot, can get caught in the screen. If the wheel 20 is spinning rapidly during exercise catastrophic injury can result. Such injury can include a broken foot or leg damaged so severely that amputation (either Veterinarian assisted or self imposed) would be required to save the animal""s life. Amputation can costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Needless to say not every pet owner has such readily available cash. In such cases, despite the love and caring that owners may well feel for their animals, the animal""s death is a likely result.
Exercise also benefits the animals because it represents a challenge and a learning experience. Early on, an animal may be frightened by the device and gradually when it sees other similar animals using the device, it may start to learn how to use it. After using it for some time, the animal may well become quite skilled at using the device and have a positive outlook toward itself and other inhabitants of its environment and toward its owner(s).
Another constraint of the exercise device is that it be small enough to fit in the door opening of the animal""s confined environment or cage. Typically, the exercise device must fit through the animal""s cage door. Very few cages have a removable sides or a top or a bottom. Most such cages have only a hinged door and the exercise device must be sufficiently small to fit through such a door. The larger wheels tend to function better and are preferable to the animals because they allow better exercise.
Cages tend to be from 12 inches in height by 16 inches in width and length to 18 inches in height by 24 inches in width and length. The physical dimensions of the wheel 20 must be such to allow it to fit within the cage. The wheel 20 tends to be 12 to 14 inches in diameter and typically provides a running surface having a width of approximately 4 to 5 inches. It is preferable to have such a wheel 20 to provide an adequate surface for the animal to exercise on without arching its back or interfering with its normal running or trotting movement. Clearly, using the past construction of the wheel 20, at least one dimension of the cage would need to exceed the diameter of the wheel in order to fit the wheel within the cage. This is true since typically none of the top, sides or bottom are removable. It is not impossible to force fit smaller cages with a larger wheel using the present configuration of the wheel 20.
As will be appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheel 20, in effect, includes a ceiling which limits the size of an animal on the wheel, in addition to the other deficiencies previously discussed. Additionally, in order to perform exercise in the opposite direction, the animal typically disembarks from the wheel 20 and turns around
What is needed is a small animal exercise device which will allow the animal to exercise in safety and comfort. Also, the device should fit easily into even small cages, if possible, without disassembly. The exercise device should provide an effective radius of exercise great enough to accommodate the animal""s exercise needs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small animal exercise device, which enables a rodent or similar small animal to obtain exercise safely.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a small animal exercise device which allows a rodent or similar small animal to exercise without the risk of sustaining injury to its limbs during the exercise.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a small animal exercise device, which can be easily fit into even a small cage while providing the animal with a device large enough for its exercise needs.
It is an additional object to provide such a small animal exercise device, which is suitable for a variety of small animals including most small rodents.
It is an additional object to provide such a small animal exercise device, which provides the small animal with an exercise and a learning experience.
In accordance with the aforementioned objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, a small animal exercise device according to the present invention comprises:
a dish having a surface suitable for rodent exercise, the dish having an outer periphery and a raceway suitable for rodent exercise adjacent the outer periphery, the raceway suitable for animal exercise and defining a solid surface;
a stand for connection with the dish, the stand having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end serving as a base and the distal end for connection with the dish, such that the dish is rotates freely under rodent exercise; and
a connecting assembly for rotatably connecting the dish to the stand,
whereby, rodent exercise occurs on the solid surface of the raceway.
In an exemplary embodiment of an exercise device according to the present invention, the base rests upon a horizontal surface and the dish is elevated above the surface to allow the dish to rotate freely under small animal exercise. Additionally, the dish makes an angle with the horizontal surface of approximately 60xc2x0 (xcex2).
In another exemplary embodiment, the angle the dish makes with the horizontal surface upon which the stand rests is adjustable.
In another exemplary embodiment of a rodent exercise device according to the present invention, the dish is shaped such that it forms an angular shape (xcex1) between 80xc2x0 and 150xc2x0 and in a preferred embodiment the angular shape is approximately 120xc2x0.
Another exemplary embodiment of a rodent exercise device according to the present invention includes an inner section defining a frusto-conical shape. The stand is connected to the dish at the inner section.
Also in accordance with the above objects and with those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, a rodent exercise device in accordance with the present invention comprises:
a dish having a surface suitable for small animal exercise, the dish having an outer periphery and a raceway suitable for small animal exercise adjacent the outer periphery, the raceway suitable for small animal exercise and defining a solid surface and the dish inner zone suitable for animal exercise defining a frusto-conical shape, the inner zone having an opening;
a stand for connection with the dish, the stand having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end serving as a base and the distal end for connection with the dish, such that the dish is rotates freely under small animal exercise; and
a connecting assembly for rotatably connecting the dish to the stand at the inner zone and each of the connecting assembly and the inner zone having an opening for accommodating the stand,
whereby, small animal exercise occurs on the solid surface of the raceway.
In other exemplary embodiments of a rodent exercise device according to the present invention, the dish is perforated.
An advantage of the present invention is that an exercise device is provided for small animals which enables them to exercise to obtain health benefits without significant risk of serious injury.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an exercise device for small animals which fits within a small confined area and provides a more than adequate surface for exercise.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an exercise device which is usable for a broad range of small animals since the exercise device in accordance with this invention does not have a ceiling limitation.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an exercise device which allows an animal to turn around on the exercise device without dismounting.